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tidge

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Posts posted by tidge

  1. Here is mine:

     

    Spoiler

    Primary Power Set: Fortunata Training

    Secondary Power Set: Fortunata Teamwork

    Power Pool: Flight

    Power Pool: Presence

    Power Pool: Leadership

    Power Pool: Leaping

    Ancillary Pool: Mu Mastery

    ------------

     

    Level 1:                 Combat Training: Defensive       

     (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Global Recharge Speed

     

    Level 1:                 Telekinetic Blast              

     (A) Superior Dominion of Arachnos - Accuracy/Damage

     (*) Superior Dominion of Arachnos - Damage/Recharge

     (*) Superior Dominion of Arachnos - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge

     (*) Superior Dominion of Arachnos - Damage/Endurance/Recharge

     (*) Superior Dominion of Arachnos - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge

     

     

    Level 2: Fate Sealed

     

     

    Level 4:                 Tactical Training: Maneuvers      

     (A) Shield Wall - Defense/Endurance: Level 50+5

     (A) Shield Wall - Defense: Level 50+5

     (*) Shield Wall - +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All)

     

    Level 6:                 Fly         

     (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range

     (*) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range/Endurance

     (*) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)

     (*) Winter’s Gift - Slow Resistance

     

     

    Level 8:                 Psychic Scream

     (A) Superior Spider's Bite - Accuracy/Damage:

     (*) Superior Spider's Bite - RechargeTime/Global Toxic

     (*) Superior Spider's Bite - Damage/RechargeTime

     (*) Superior Spider's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime

     (*) Superior Spider's Bite - Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime

     (*) Superior Spider's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime

     

     

    Level 10:              Indomitable Will              

     (A) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All)

     (*) Unbreakable Guard - +Max HP

     

     

    Level 12:              Psionic Tornado               

     (A) Superior Frozen Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance

     (*) Javelin Volley - Accuracy/ Endurance/Recharge: Level 50+5

     (*) Javelin Volley - Chance of Damage (Lethal)

     (*) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage (Energy)

     (*) Bombardment - Chance of Damage (Fire)

     (*) Superior Dominion of Arachnos - Recharge/%Terrorize

     

     

    Level 14:              Dominate           

     (A) Gladiator's Net - Accuracy/Hold: Level 50+5

     (*) Gladiator's Net - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge/Hold: Level 50+5

     (*) Gladiator's Net - Chance of Damage (Lethal)

     (*) Unbreakable Constraint - Chance for Damage (Smashing): Level 50

     (*) Apocalypse - Chance for Damage (Negative): Level 50

     

     

     Level 16:             Pacify   

     (A) Accuracy IO: Level 50+5

     

     

    Level 18:              Intimidate          

     (A) Hami-O Endoplasm Exposure (Accuracy/Mezz): Level 53

     

     

    Level 20:              Mask Presence

     (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance: Level 50+5

     (*) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Global Recharge Speed

     

     

    Level 22:              Foresight            

     (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%:

     (*) Luck of the Gambler - Defense

     (*) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Global Recharge Speed

     

     

    Level 24:              Mind Link           

     (A) Reactive Defenses - Defense

     (*) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance

     (*) Reactive Defenses - Endurance/RechargeTime

     (*) Reactive Defenses - Defense/RechargeTime

     (*) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance/RechargeTime

     (*) Reactive Defenses - Scaling Resist Damage

     

     

     

    Level 26:              Confuse              

     (A) Coercive Persuasion - Confused: Level 50+5

     (*) Coercive Persuasion - Confused/Recharge: Level 50

     (*) Coercive Persuasion - Accuracy/Confused/Recharge: Level 50

     (*) Coercive Persuasion - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50

     (*) Coercive Persuasion - Confused/Endurance: Level 50+5

     (*) Coercive Persuasion - Contagious Confusion: Level 50

     

    Level 28:              Psychic Wail       

     (A) Armageddon - Damage/Endurance: Level 50+5

     (*) Armageddon - Damage/Recharge: Level 50+5

     (*) Armageddon - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50+5

     (*) Armageddon - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50+5

     (*) Armageddon - Chance for Damage (Fire): Level 50

     (*) Eradication - Chance for Damage (Energy)

     

     

    Level 30:              Aura of Confusion          

     (A) Malaise's Illusions - Accuracy/Recharge

     (*) Malaise's Illusions - Chance of Damage (Psionic)

     (*) Cacophany - Chance of Damage (Energy)

     (*) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50+5

     

     

    Level 32:              Unrelenting       

     (A) Preventive Medicine - Heal

     (*) Preventive Medicine - Heal/Endurance

     (*) Preventive Medicine - Endurance/RechargeTime

     (*) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime

     (*) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance

     (*) Preventive Medicine - Chance for +Absorb

     

     

    Level 35:              Invoke Panic     

     (A) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Recharge

     (*) Glimpse of the Abyss - Chance of Damage (Psionic)

     (*) Glimpse of the Abyss - Endurance/Fear

     (*) Glimpse of the Abyss - Fear/Range

     (*) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Fear/Recharge

     

     

    Level 38:              Mu Lightning     

     (A) Apocalypse - Damage: Level 50+5

     (*) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance: Level 50+5

     (*) Apocalypse - Damage/Recharge: Level 50+5

     (*) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50+5

     (*) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50+5

     

    Level 41:              Static Discharge               

     (A) Hami-O Centriole (Damage/Range): Level 53

     (*) D-Sync Guidance (Accuracy/Range): Level 53

     (*) Javelin Volley - Chance of Damage (Lethal)

     (*) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage (Energy)

     (*) Bombardment - Chance of Damage (Fire)

     

    Level 44:              Hasten

     (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50+5

     (*) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50+5

     

    Level 47:              Maneuvers        

     (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Global Recharge Speed

     (*)  Hami-O Cytoskeleton (+Defense/+ToHit/Endurance): Level 53

     

     

    Level 49:              Hover   

     (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Global Recharge Speed

     

     

    Level 1: Sprint   

     (A) Endurance Reduction IO:  Level 50+5

     

     

    Level 2: Rest      

     (A) Interrupt Reduction IO: Level 50

     

     

    Level 2: Swift     

     (A) Run Speed IO: Level 50+5

     

     

    Level 2: Hurdle 

     (A) Jumping IO: Level 50+5

     

     

    Level 2: Health  

     (A) Panacea - +Hit Points/Endurance: Level 50

     

     

    Level 2: Stamina               

     (A) Performance Shifter - EndMod

     (*) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End

     (*) Power Transfer %Heal

     

     

     

    This is my post-"Fate Sealed" build. It is a little slow-ish (because Psychic) and it leans hard into "controls".

  2. It's worth testing, but my guess is for a lot of content it could be (at best) a wash.

     

    What I like:

    • All(?) of the Soldier attacks will have a chance to trigger the %-Res
    • There are three Soldiers, so more attacks

    What is probably neutral:

    • You will probably have to make sure the henchmen are focusing fire to get maximum utility from the %proc

    What I don't like:

    • T1 henchmen need enhancements more than %procs (level shift!)
    • Almost all of the attacks are single-target, IIRC only one of the attacks that could trigger it is an AoE
    • The individual %proc chances don't look to be that good

    I like the Soulbound Allegiance %BuildUp, and/or the Overwhelming Force KD more than any other %proc for the T1 henchmen. Each of those %procs have a chance to fire on every attack made by the henchmen.

     

    51 minutes ago, Xandyr said:

    I'm running mercs/marine. I have an Achilles in Soldiers, and was tempted to put the Annihilation proc in shifting to stack even more -resistance.

     

    The cool thing about %procs in Shifting Tides is that they will still %proc (in the AoE) until the anchor body de-rezzes. A Tide Pool can help to keep enemies huddled.

  3. 57 minutes ago, Xandyr said:

     

    But if you had the Annihilation Proc in one power, and Achilles' heel in another, and they both go off, those WOULD stack, correct? So you'd get 32.5% Resistance debuff?

     

    Yes it is possible to have debuffs from different sources stack, but only for the overlap period. Keep in mind that the %-Res is:

    1. Only once per source (and the source is the %proc, not player or power)
    2. Only 10 seconds (barring extensions) duration ... so better for MMs than other solo ATs
    3. Subject to the %proc rate and accuracy of the %proc
    4. "Resistance resists resistable resistance debuffs" (so maybe an off-flavor %damage would be better, like Negative or Smashing)

    My own opinion is that the Annihilation set typically offers more useful set bonuses, and power attribute enhancements (Schedule A) for the powers that take it.

     

    My personal practical experience has been that the Achilles' Heel %-Resistance is less useful that the Annihilation %-Resistance (or %damage), except for a few corner cases. The factors that I have found work against the Achilles' Heel piece (in practice) involve the nature of the power that would take it:

    • Single-Target v. AoE (AoE have generally lower %proc chances, but more -Res on a single target may be wasted)
    • Accuracy (for %proc ToHit) and Recharge Time (for %proc chance)
    • Does the power already apply -Resistance? (if so, a %damage might be better)
    • What else those powers could slot instead, or could the slot be better used somewhere else in the build
    • Are there enough powers that could reliably apply the Achilles' Heel %proc to extend its duration? (Range AoE are generally more common, and often %proc friendly)

    I was surprised how little effect the Achilles' Heel piece had (for clear times) in various Rad builds!

     

    One of the corner cases that I will use the Achilles' Heel %-Res piece is on Tankers in Weaken Resolve... I like the Force of Will set, so that power is an easy pre-requisite pick that I can also slot for Accuracy and doesn't take many slots. Tankers can use the power against (single) hard targets that they are holding anyway for their teammates to capitalize on.

  4. 1 hour ago, Techwright said:

    That's interesting.  I never realized there was a different effect between locations.  Though not exactly a bug, this sounds like a problem needing reporting.  By any chance have you done so, or are aware of such from others?

     

    I've casually mentioned it, but this sort of issue is IMO similar to the pathing issue for the Arachnos Flier which occasionally gets "stuck" in invulnerable mode when flying between landing points. I can imagine a variety of potential solutions, but I've never seen the event fail to end (via zone announcements) when the rave is at the southernmost point, so I see this as a minor issue at best.

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  5. I have some notes.

     

    If the rave is at the southernmost point, there will be spawns of Trolls destined for the Rave that cannot make the jump to get to the rave from where they spawn. This limits the Supa spawns.

     

    When Supas spawn, they travel to (effectively) three different spawn points. Two are near the north train station, the third is near the gate to the Hollows. The Supas will wait there to be defeated.

     

    I believe that the event ends when 50 Supas have been defeated (in the zone). I think the event will finally decide to time itself out.

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  6. If there is a question of how to hit MaxHP for a Stalker: I know that my Energy Aura Sentinel (an AT which IIRC has the same MaxHP as Stalker) was able to passively hit MaxHP once the accolades which boost Health were achieved. I bring this up only because Energy Aura requires as slightly different approach to building Defenses than other Armors and there was something about the way I used set bonuses that got to the MaxHP... not something I usually achieve (because of build compromises). I may have other characters passively at MaxHP and simply not realize it!

     

    I'm guessing that other Stalker armor set (Bio Armor?) could also get to Stalker MaxHP passively, and if committed to using a power like Dull Pain (from Invulnerability) you should be able to hit MaxHP whenever the power is in use. There isn't much content that really requires MaxHP (especially with Invulnerability) IMO. Obviously things like Scaling Damage Resistance and Regeneration rates come into play.

  7. I remember the discussions about Detonator... my play style is mostly GM hunting with my Traps MM, so for a "finishing" move it might work, but otherwise I simply don't have enough mental bandwidth to do the mental-math to optimize when/which henchman to go boom and juggle the bodyguard mode demands. 

     

    My build is also super-tight in terms of chosen powers (see comments above about skipping so many Traps powers). I have one power I'd happily sacrifice, but it is a pre-req for the Fighting pool and there simply isn't another option (in my build) for Tough.

  8. Specific to %procs: I always check the AH before listing them. There are quite a few %procs that (some) sellers appear to list incredibly high, despite the observation that very few builds could use those pieces and/or very few shared builds opt to use those pieces. This was true years ago, and it is still true. Trap of the Hunter %Lethal, I'm calling you out! There are a few others that used to have relatively large imbalances in for-sales and open bids, and everytime I check those the circumstances haven't changed.

     

    There are a few other things that I believe impact %proc sales, including new power sets and/or changes to existing powers/ATs. One example is this (my perception): Powers that don't do Knockback against even-or-higher level mobiles are less likely to "need" a Sudden Acceleration KB->KD piece... and it isn't like a lot of the new sets are adding multiple powers that do Knockback, so a single Overwhelming Force may be all that some players need... if they care at all!

     

    Obliteration and Bombardment are IMO an interesting case study in how the available level (30-50) is probably working against their desirability, because prior to level 27 (or 30) there are multiple options for other %damage pieces to be added to powers. The %Fire from Bombardment is IMO a nice mixed damage type for most of my characters, but the %Smashing from Obliteration is slightly more meh.

     

     

  9. I have no issues with the "take a knee" animation.

     

    As @Jacke notes: the Pseudopets need to be slotted with Accuracy. I'm ok with this, because if they had a better base Accuracy most of them would become insanely powerful %proc bombs. I feel like this is just "one of those things" that Traps players need to learn, or need to accept from other players willing to explain it to them. 

     

    My attitude on Triage Beacon is that this is the sort of power to take while leveling up, especially if the player can't afford enhancements for Defense or doesn't understand how to manage Regeneration. I think it is probably the worst of the low-level "healing" powers, but my opinion is that the current (2024-era) game deprioritizes all such powers. I'd only suggest a slight change: if Triage Beacon also boosted Recovery, I think it would be better (the blue bar is spent more commonly than the green bar) and I don't think it would be game breaking. (I still don't think I'd take it, but I can see a stronger case being made for taking it.)

     

    My personal perception of Traps is this: I like it because I can skip so many powers in it. On my MM, I've skipped:

    • T1 Web Grenade (fine for a ST immobilize, but such powers have such a limited utility compared to what other powers can do)
    • T3 Triage Beacon, because it is a fast-moving world, and who takes damage at a rate such that more +Regeneration is an important consideration?
    • T7 Seeker Drones (I feel that the "fire-and-forget" aspect of them works against both the Stun and the -ToHit)
    • T8 Trip Mine (Personally I feel that trying to commit to a stationary potential source of damage narrows strategic options, also it takes slots better used elsewhere for MMs)
    • T9 Detonator (I didn't take it before it was Detonator... I understand it was improved but it just doesn't fit my play style of "debuff and kill")
  10. While I am not specifically looking for Supremacy, I am monitoring

    1.  The buffs affecting my henchmen
    2.  The distance to my henchmen

    The first is mostly because occasionally henchmen decide to stop traveling; they end up far from me. Generally once I've engaged I want to know if anyone has gotten out of position.

     

    The second is not something I do that much (for henchmen), it is more a side effect of monitoring distance to target (a habit formed with /Traps) and playing the game for a long enough time. Again, I want to know which henchmen and pets are getting everything I want them to get.

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  11. IMO what sets Plant Control apart from other sets are the "fire and forget" powers that have the practical effect (for me) that I have to pay very little attention to most of the enemies in a spawn. Those powers are:

    • Seeds of Confusion (level 😎 (*1), which becomes insanely good with the Coercive Persuasion set. Specifically, the %Contagious Confusion seems to pick up nearly all the targets that may have been missed on an initial attack.
    • Carrion Creepers (level 22), which is practically a self-regenerating AoE 'nuke'

    With just those two powers, for a lot of content I find that I have plenty of time to figure out how to do whatever else I want to do with the character.

     

    (*1) It is insane comparing Seeds of Confusion with Mind Control's T9 Mass Confusion. I still don't know what the Live Devs were thinking, beyond subscriptions.

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  12. On 8/31/2024 at 6:37 PM, Meknomancer said:

     

    Well ice/marine isn't awful it turns out but it is still rough going. Slotted for 10 points kb protection and it can't even make it through a moonfire without faceplanting at least once....due to knockbacks.

     

    Moonfire TF is mostly Council, so it is certainly the FREEM! that is getting you. You need 20+ points of KB protection for FREEM!

     

    FWIW, 10 points of KB is IMO borderline... Once over 4, I figure you may as well go for 12 (or 13, depending on how you achieve it). The SG base buff can get you another 10 points.

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  13. What @Erratic1 wrote. It's a top-tier set that is somewhat "active" and requires paying attention. Smarter slotting choices can alleviate how much attention has to be paid to most content. The lack of Defense Debuff Resistance in Bio Armor is probably the most glaring issue and can be the biggest surprise.

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  14. I used to turn off the rare recipes, for precisely the reasons mentioned (costs, return).  However... keep in mind I am only a casual marketer... I stopped doing this except for my "explicitly poor" characters. The primary reasons for doing this are:

    • Generally, I build/slot characters with whatever I have around, and I keep pieces I am pretty sure I will use. This is wasteful once a character is "rich enough", but it is now a habit for me.
    • Occasionally, I really want 50+5 pieces instead of attuned pieces. These cost the same on the AH of course, but see my note above about my habit to self-build.
    • I'm lazy about turning these sorts of things off-and-on at S.T.A.R.T. !

     

     

     

  15. 3 minutes ago, Wavicle said:

     

    There definitely hasn't been any interruption or breaking of LoS.

     

    The attack should either Hit and break Hide, or Miss and NOT break Hide.

    Instead, it is neither Hitting nor Missing, according to the log, and then doing no damage, but breaking Hide. But it happens very infrequently and not with any (so far) discernible pattern.

     

    Sure. I've seen that. The same thing will occasionally happen with a Slow Snipe (in my experience).

  16. 38 minutes ago, Neiska said:

    I'm starting to muse if he's possibly playing the wrong AT. If he wants to go toe to toe with AVs, some certainly can, but it takes planning an preparation. And he has to accept the fact that he has to use all tools available.

     

    As near as I can tell (and I suspect I may be very generous in my assessment), this thread's complaint is:

     

    On 8/30/2024 at 2:57 AM, Ultimo said:

      What I did say is the AV shouldn't be taking me out before I have any chance to fight back.

     

    What the OP has ignored IMO are a LOT of game fundamentals that work in parallel with the "Who/what does the AV target first, and with which attacks?" The planning/preparation is at least as important as the continued execution of what will be a longish combat.

     

    The "but my defender was porting into melee range of all other mobiles and not dying!" is NOT an argument to support "AVs hit too hard!" From my PoV, this is the rookie version of the argument "FREEM! is TOO HARD", because sooner-or-later, every character is going to get hit by an enemy attack (the floor is 1-in-20), and if the enemy has a better base ToHit, it is unwise to assume that such an enemy is going to be as bad at hitting as even-level minions.

     

    Furthermore, this thread seems partially predicated IMO on another rookie-minded mistake, that somehow the player's reactions on the keyboard are going to be faster that what is happening at the server. Solo port into B2B combat with an AV with a notification toggle on? Guess who is going to almost certainly going to get the first attack!

     

    I find the argument that "but I want to survive one hit!" disingenuous, as if that was the issue, there are ways for Defenders to get +Absorb, in addition to a Scaling Damage Resistance.

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  17. 6 minutes ago, Solifugo said:


    I went through your considerations, and as it is usual for answering questions, they sparked more questions; I'm sorry if this thread is kinda derailing into noob support...


    For example, "50+5" on enhancements means boosters, right? Woudn't it be logical (if perhaps prohibitively expensive) to boost everything that is compatible with boosters to 50+5?

     

    A boosted enhancement is not attuned, so unless it was of a special type (keep reading), set bonuses will not exist more than 5 levels below the base value. E.g. a 50+5 boosted piece won't contribute to a set's enhancement if you exemplar content below level 45. The special types of boostable enhancements that keep their set bonuses across all exemplarable content are:

    • "PVP" pieces, which offer an extra set of enhancement bonuses in PVP zones (in addition to offering "PvE" bonuses)
    • Very Rare/"Purple" pieces, which can't be equipped until level 50

    For PVP or Very Rare pieces that don't boost any enhancement value, they don't need to be boosted. I generally have attuned versions of the PVP pieces because I am a hoarder, and I can slot them at level 10.

     

    12 minutes ago, Solifugo said:

    Also, you have slotted your damaging powers many damage and utility procs. Am I to understand that that is kind of an optimal way to do it for damage? You get better DPS if you fill it with procs? And speaking of procs, how do procs work with, say, PBAoE powers like death shroud or combustion? The procs roll in order to trigger in each hit on each target in range of the power or does it at each 2s roll to proc on every mob in range at once? I guess it is the 1st one? Anyway, is it still advisable?

     

    Tankers have lower damage scales than other damage dealing archetypes. Generally, any attack can get to 100% boosting by picking a damage dealing set (this is without external boosts from teammates or inspirations... there is a cap for boosts). AFAIK, %damage procs do either 71.75 damage or 107.1 damage (the Very Rare pieces)... but only if (a) the base attack hits, (b) the %proc fires, and (c) the fired proc hits (based on the powers ToHit chance, not the player's ToHit chance). So generally, if the %proc rate for a power is "ok", and the power is also slotted with accuracy, chances are good that each %proc will do additional damage... so DPS can be improved if the player takes all this into account. Note that (c) exists so that "autohit" powers don't simply sit at the %proc chance.

     

    Please note that the RNG is a pseudo-random number generator that fills the RNG space between 0 and 1 "flatly", and that no matter how high the accuracy/tohit any RNG of > 0.95 will miss. The flat nature of the RNG pretty much guarantees that a power with 6 %damage pieces in it will never have all 6 %damage pieces hit. (This was "tested" by another player who didn't quite know what they were testing)

     

    Unslotters are cheap, you can always test!

     

    22 minutes ago, Solifugo said:

    I'm still a bit of at a loss over why choosing some sets over its alternatives in many cases. Why slot mocking beratement over the other taunt alternatives? The cd reduction total? You have favored gauntleted fist over might of the tanker because the absorb procs require more intensive investiment meanwhile mostly the best use for MotT would be the res proc, that you slotted on pendulum?

     

    The Perfect Zinger set a %damage piece but has no accuracy (to help with the %damage to hit)... the enhanced recharge from that set also works against the %damage piece. I happen to value +MaxEnd and global +Recharge (from Mocking Beratement) more than whatever else I can get from Perfect Zinger. There are players who skip Taunt, I won't criticize Tankers who take Taunt and only slot it minimally.

     

    Similarly, I don't prioritize the set bonuses of Might of the Tanker, but I want the %+Res(all) especially because because that Tanker is Shield primary (a Defense primary). 5/6-slotting the Tanker ATOs means that there are fewer slots for %procs, and the slotted recharge is working against the %proc rate. Everything is a balancing act! (Global Recharge does NOT affect %proc chances.)

     

    32 minutes ago, Solifugo said:

    And last but perhaps most importantly: I'm kind of at a loss over how I should gear my char while lvling. Should I make a plan on mids to define what powers I'll buy and what sets I'll use in order to know where I'll need the slots and until I'm lvl 50 just roll with SOs or can I, for example, buy a ATO set at earlier levels with merits and then upgrade it later somehow without having to buy it again? Should I only care about sets on lvl 50?

     

    For a Dark Tanker, I'd only use the default slot for the toggles and slot them with Endurance reduction. Multiple slots in Tanker primaries do very little for players below level 10. I slot attacks with Accuracy, Endurance, Damage, in that order. You can slot enhancement pieces from sets when possible. Unless you specifically want set bonuses or lots of %damage, I wouldn't over-slot attacks. I have "rules of thumb" but I try to play new (to me) power sets through solo missions to get a feel for what I need before joining teams.

  18. 12 hours ago, DrRocket said:

    Lately it seems the devs concept of increased challenge, is to increase even more Status Effect attacks on support, thus killing them faster and now the melee is challenged because they have no support. In some star content, the baddies have an un-resistable and auto hit teleport (feels like cheating to me) to them (so much for range) and drop in an intense defense debuff field (got to rub salt in the wound) and then (of course) subject their victim with spam holds from many different baddies; and then you are surprised they died almost instantly? There are those melee that arrogantly say to the unlucky support zap, learn to play the game, but truthfully what is there to learn from completely arbitrary activities?

     

     I'm not buying what your selling, but I have a different perspective about Controls (hard/soft) and a different imagination about how the Live devs perceived them.

     

    Originally, on Live it definitely seemed to me as if the devs thought that players being able to control mobile enemies was something like an "auto win". So many control powers had recharge times, accuracy, endurance costs, levels of availability, etc. baked into them... mostly ignoring that controlling enemies wasn't the same as defeating enemies. Pre-ED kinda was a way around this... but I think this was just one more thing that motivated ED. There was another round of dev panic when PvP was introduced, because some 'controls' that had been mostly ignored turned out to be PDGood in PvP (Stuns).... I write this just to point out that in-game, controls have always been viewed from many perspectives.

     

    On the flip side... and this is where I think my perspective is somewhat unusual... some of the players felt that their characters were too easily victimized by enemies with controls, and so later in the game's life certain ATs ended up getting (IMO, disproportionate) attention to make playing those ATs easier... specifically Blasters, which can cast T1/T2 attacks while controlled, plus all have sustains for endurance, plus have much improved nukes (over Launch). I sorta feel that if Blasters didn't have it so relatively easy (compared to other ATs) and the original toggly/inherent ways for certain armors to shrug off controls (and keep in mind, players no longer detoggle most powers when controlled) , then there would be a more even appreciation of what is happening with critter controls.

     

    I write the above to explain my opinion is not that the Homecoming Devs are specifically trying to drive a sort of "trinity" style play in Hard Mode, it's more that they've got an uphill battle to make a hard mode given what exixts in the game (ToHit, Damage, Healing, Controls).

     

    I don't think it would make sense (or be popular) to remove status protection from armors, or strip Blasters of their inherents, or nerf the effects of Domination.

     

    13 hours ago, DrRocket said:

    ... the baddies have an un-resistable and auto hit teleport (feels like cheating to me) to them (so much for range) and drop in an intense defense debuff field (got to rub salt in the wound) and then (of course) subject their victim with spam holds from many different baddies; and then you are surprised they died almost instantly? There are those melee that arrogantly say to the unlucky support zap, learn to play the game, but truthfully what is there to learn from completely arbitrary activities?

     

    I had proposed in the past to give support types some status effect protection, since range can help in some very minor and inconsistent way and melee may do their job of protecting them (not something to take to the bank), so I noticed a trend as such Tank 12 protection, scrapper 8 protection, thus I suggest support 4 protection; it is something - not as dramatic as the tank or as solid as a scrapper. But at least a compensation for the abusive use of holds.

     

    There are enough different things here to parse that I'm not sure I could dive in... if Homecoming didn't make it so easy for so many players to get enemies to the point where many of the enemies only hit players 5% of the time, I'd be more open for more of the squishy ATs to get some of the love that Blasters got (either T1/T2 casts while controlled, improved "nukes", but these are slippery slopes). Homecoming also made it easy for players to get powers like Rune of Protection... a power that had to get 'nerfed' because it was simply too good.

     

  19. 24 minutes ago, srmalloy said:

    The problem is that it doesn't allow a character to fly; it forces them to fly. You don't get the option; if someone has Group Fly on, and you're within the area of effect, you will be flying. That's what the option from Null addresses, and changing Group Fly to make what it does more manageable is what this thread, and the others going back to Live, is about.

     

    I'm referring to the player that TAKES Group Fly, not an ally affected by it. No other toggles (aside from Group Fly) is needed to achieve lift-off.

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